@amy-r

Hi Carla, overall I agree with your post and I think you have made a good argument. I like that you broke your argument down into three main parts, and analyzed each one separately. In particular, I thought it was interesting that you talked about teachers being victims of cyber bullying because I have never thought about that before. You might…[Read more]

Evelyn, you have made a very compelling argument about why schools should be able to restrict students’ speech on line. I particularly like when you say, “Cyberbullying is a reality, but in many cases like those previously mentioned, it could be prevented by students’ online speeches being limited.” Using statistics to show how prevalent c…[Read more]

There is an increasingly more complicated problem of privacy as technology becomes more prevalent in society. In a New Yorker article, Louis Menand argues that “‘the beginning of all freedom’ is ‘the right to be l

David, this was a very informative post. You were able to outline a strong argument in your first two paragraphs and then support your claims with an abundance of statistics in your video. The fact that just under 20% of students graduate with more than $50,000 of debt was very alarming. I particularly liked how you explained the problem of…[Read more]

Maggie, I really enjoyed this post. I did not know that so many women were held by police for protesting. I particularly liked when you said, “It is time that we stop condoning sexual assault and giving offenders power.” This was a powerful line because it plays into the frustration that many people are feeling right now about Kavanaugh’s Supreme…[Read more]

Olivia, I greatly enjoyed this post about the elections in the United States. I particularly like your conclusion where you say, “Nine percent of elections since our founding, the will of the people has been ignored, the people haven’t represented as they choose.” Your word choice and tone are very strong and convincing, and it makes a very v…[Read more]

I really enjoyed this post, Mia. I thought you looked at American fears with an interesting perspective by combining traditional horror stories with more realistic fears people have currently. I especially like your conclusion about the importance of horror in the media, where you say that “they help us see certain situations in our lives and…[Read more]

This was a very interesting post, Li. You were able to provide valid arguments for both sides of the issue which was very impressive. Looking at environmental issues and the potential to solve those issues was a smart perspective to take because it made it relevant to your audience. I especially enjoyed your conclusion, that “it seems that it is…[Read more]

This was a very interesting post, Jacob. I did not realize that race was a major issue when discussing the death penalty. I think that this was a great perspective to look at to argue against the death penalty because it is so difficult to use morals to make an argument. Being able to use facts and evidence was a great strategy to convince your…[Read more]

The separation of church and state is a topic debated frequently across the country. While there is little agreement about how large this separation should be, the metaphorical wall is intended to keep the

This is an interesting post Amy! I am quite intrigued about the issue of the separation of Church and State in Utah, and the fact that 80% of all lawmakers are LDS isn’t necessarily surprising but could be considered alarming to the 40% of Utahns who aren’t mormon. With that being taken into consideration, do you think it’s fair to expect the Church to change their stances and for to put aside their religions views to ensure this separation. If the church teaches someone something and that person is voted into office, is it fair to say they can’t take what is taught to them by the church in politics, when it is such an essential part of them. According to the LA Times, Joseph Smith had attempted to keep separation, saying “I teach them correct principles and they govern themselves.” Elder James E. Faust echoes this sentiment, saying that they give their thoughts on a subject and allow people to decide what to believe. They don’t unnecessarily insert themselves. If this is the case, is there a problem with the separation of church and state and if there is can we really do anything about it?

Excellent probe, Amy. I agree, the holes in the wall between church and state are elusive and ever changing. Esepcially in Utah, the gaps are large. You almost make Utah sound like an old Italian city state with how much influence the church exercises power over and infiltrates our legislative and executive bodies. And like you alluded to at the end of your second paragraph, those who defend their own religious practices in the public sphere can be unaware of the extent of their effects. It would be interesting to look into exactly what the founding fathers meant when they guaranteed freedom of religion in the Bill of Rights.

Your point of view on the separation of church and state is very intriguing. I really liked how you referenced Utah in your argument, not only because it validates your argument but it also, for those living in Utah, it is very relatable. In my opinion, even though the idea of the separation of church and state is a valid concept, I don’t think it will ever be obtainable. Our opinions are merely a combination of our experiences, age, and privilege, so to ask someone to give their opinion with no reference to religion is simply impossible, because that’s how many of our moral standards are formed. Here is an article that you may find interesting, http://time.com/5103677/church-state-separation-religious-freedom/. Overall, this is a very interesting topic and I really enjoyed reading your piece.

This is a very compelling argument that you make, Fredrick. The fact you inserted at the end of your post, about how the “U.S. Treasury is expected to run a 2017 deficit of $693 billion,” was a strong statistic to convince people about the importance of this issue. In general, I agree that the wealthy should need to contribute more in taxes than…[Read more]

I greatly enjoyed this information, Olivia. In particular, your final sentence that explained how “the system of our elections has had the ability to be fair in the past, but the spike in corruption and foul play has proved our elections have many shortcomings in terms of speaking for the people,” was very effective in conveying your message. In a…[Read more]

Throughout history, there has been an ongoing debate about the separation of church and state in the United States. According to an Oxford article by Steven K. Green, “separation of church and state has long b

Amy, you provided effective examples for your argument. I found the comments of Trump administration most compelling because they are currently in positions of power. It is important to highlight any biases or views that influence their policy decisions. This reminded me of the influence of the LDS church in Utah’s government. I found a Huffington Post Article, similar to the one you linked, that calls attention to the lack of separation between church and state in Utah. What do you see or experience as an effect of the influence of religion in government? I look forward to reading your response because this could lead to the majority religion ruling and oppressing minority religions, which is evident in Utah.

Amy, I really enjoyed your thoughts and argument on the separation of church and state in the United States. You integrated the NYT article very well into your second paragraph. You were able to seamlessly paraphrase it, but also keep the amount of information and credibility from the author. This reminds me of a video we are watching in my government class right now. It is call “It’s a free country” and looks at the constitution in modern United States. https://youtu.be/Y4yYBpUot8o

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This is a youth-powered social network that was started in 2003 by a group of teachers from local sites of the National Writing Project.

We merged several earlier blogging projects. We have found that there are many advantages to bringing students together in one site that lives beyond any particular class. It's easier for individual students to read and write about their own passions, to connect with other students, comment on each other's work, and create multimedia posts for each other. Further, it's been exciting for us to pool our knowledge about curriculum, connected learning, and digital literacies.

If being part of such a community makes sense to you, we invite you to join us. We welcome all youth and any teacher interested in having students publish online and participate in the give and take of a social network like Youth Voices.